Calgary Flames: 2014-15 NHL season preview

This is part of our series of quick season previews for the seven Canadian-based NHL teams. We've alsocovered the Vancouver Canucks,Edmonton Oilers,Winnipeg JetsandToronto Maple Leafs.

Calgary Flames

Last season's record: 35-40-7 (77 points), 6th out of 7 in Pacific Division, missed playoffs.

Last season's story: A pre-season "favourite" to end up with the first pick in the draft in their first full year AI (that's After Iginla), the rebuilding Flames bookended some decent hockey (5-5-2 in October; 13-10-0 from March 1 on) around some rough times and wound up with the fourth-worst record in the NHL. GM Jay Feaster was fired a couple months in bypresident Brian Burke, but positive signs included a 22-goal rookie season by Sean Monahan and Norris-calibre play by veteran defenceman Mark Giordano, who missed 18 games with a broken ankle. Still, Calgary missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year. And get this: if you throw out their run to the final in 2004, the Flames haven't won a playoff series since they won the Cup in 1989.

Key off-season additions: G Jonas Hiller, F Mason Raymond, F Deryk Engelland, F Devin Setoguchi, F Brandon Bollig, GM Brad Treliving.

Key off-season subtractions: F Mike Cammalleri, D T.J. Galiardi.

Best-case scenario:Coach Bob Hartleyguidesa respectable, hard-working teamas Monahantakes over the top-sniper job from the departed Cammalleri;Giordano maintains his high level of play over a full season;tiny college starJohnny Gaudreauand fourth-overall pick Sam Bennett show the potential to pull themselves up to the pro level (though Bennett isn't expected tomake the team); and new GM Treliving (you know his dad from Dragons' Den) gets help with his rebuildingproject when the Flames win the draft lottery and the right to select OHL phenom Connor McDavid.

Worst-case scenario: Monahan(still only 19) suffers the dreaded sophomore slump as Calgarystruggles to score again and sinks to the bottom of the league behind a thin defence and shaky goaltending. Worse, the lottery Fates desert the Flamesand they miss out on McDavid.